Heart
attacks and strokes can creep up on us. They sneak into our life and
we do not even notice the signs. We get tired faster, we have trouble keeping
up with the kids or with our friends. We take naps. We never used
to take naps, right? The weight gain just gently keeps increasing with age.
We do not gain 20, 30 or 50 pounds overnight, no, we gain a few pounds over a
longer period of time, so, it doesn't seem so drastic when we step on the scale.
We do less and relax more. We are stressed out, so we eat comfort foods.
We are tired at the end of the day, so let's get take out suppers, or, prepared
foods. Then one day, bang! Our lifestyle hits us over the head.
And, changes all of a sudden are forced on us. Let's not do that, ok?
Let's make the changes NOW. Do it for the whole family, no, actually do
it WITH the whole family.
Most heart attacks and strokes are caused by “atherothrombosis”;
this is a highly preventable disease.
Atherothrombosis happens when
fatty material, also known as plaque, breaks, a blood clot is then formed, and
this can then block the blood flow and lead to a heart attack, a stroke, and even
arterial disease, which causes leg pain.
There are a number of conditions
related to health, to lifestyle and to other factors that will contribute to this
disease and increase the risk for heart attack and stroke.
Health related
conditions: high cholesterol; high blood pressure; poor circulation; diabetes.
Lifestyle:
smoking; obesity; overweight; lack of exercise; bad diet.
Other
factors: age; family history.
Atherothrombosis: How it works.
High
blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking and other factors will lead to the build
up of fatty plagues inside the arteries.
The blood flow becomes restricted
as the plaque increases in size. Blood clots happen when the plaque breaks through
the lining of the artery.
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Cells, actually called
platelets, stick to the damaged area of the artery. A web of fibres is created
around the platelets, producing a blood clot. This blood clot could break free
and block the flow of blood if it gets stuck in a smaller artery leading to the
heart, brain, or other organs.
Ask yourself these questions:
-Are
you over 50? -Do you have a parent or a sibling who ever had a heart attack or
stroke? -Do you have diabetes? -Have you ever had any kind of circulation problem?
-What are the numbers of your cholesterol? Blood Pressure? LDL and HDL? How are
your triglycerides? -What is your weight? Are you a little overweight? Are you
a lot overweight, even obese? -How is your diet? Do you understand what makes
a healthy diet? -Do you understand about nutrition? -Do you smoke?
Work
out a plan to minimize your risk right now.
- Quit smoking, this is a no
brainer. - Exercise regularly - Make the necessary diet changes to be able to
convert over to a new healthy diet. - If you do the above you will have a healthy
weight loss. - Try to control you “numbers” naturally. If you cannot, or they
are too high, there are medicines to help you.
Always consult with your
doctor. Do not wait to visit the doctor’s office. Do it today and make a health
and fitness plan. We do not need to become medical experts to control our lifestyle;
we just need to become informed.
Medical Disclaimer: This article is designed
for educational purposes only and should not be used in any other manner. This
information is not intended to substitute for informed medical advice.